I like fires but to me SUL is what I do when I want to travel light and fast. Since that doesn't leave much time for fires I tend to just eat cold food. Yes I miss hot food (sometimes) but the simplicity is great. Its also nice when its raining to just eat my dinner under my tarp then go to bed. Just my preference of course HYOH.

I think an article on eating well with cold food would be cool. What are the best "no cook" meals (i.e. not GORP and bars)?

We've only started to use Steripens but like them so far. What I've done for backup is through some Iodine tablets in a small plastic bag. Its very light and gives you a backup option if the Steripen fails.

Great video as always! Nice to see a different perspective on SUL. I often wish I could have fires but here in CA they are taboo. Have to stick to my old Esbit standby. Steripen makes me nervous as well. Many times I have really long stretches between watering holes and batteries always seem to fail me when I need them. As you alluded to Ryan, right gear for the right terrain.

Please keep them coming! Looking forward to seeing your shelter system in action.

I love how you made your fire remains totally invisible. It looked like a survival skill they would teach you in the military to avoid being tracked. Some people can't understand a fire ever not leaving a trace, but as you just demonstrated it can. I've even cleaned up huge long log fires that I burnt all night long.And I appreciate when people disassemble their fire rings (I never ever make one, I don't see the point). I hate walking up some remote river corridor and finding old fire rings that haven't been used it decades.

I hate to nag on people about stuff, but you shouldn't carve wood shavings on a rock. Granfors Bruks axes have very hard steel that holds an edge well on wood but will chip out badly if you hit a rock. I've bucked logs with full size axe and if you miss the log and strike the ground all of the little pebbles in the dirt will make your axe edge look like a steak knife.

Fire cooking is cool and all, but you should really do a thing on stoves. Not everyone wants to use a fire.

What is the purpose of the ring of rocks ? I can understand 2-3 to act as pot supports, but why enclose the fire in a big circle of rocks ?

Also why do you mix the forest duff into the dirt afterwards ? Does this somehow restore the soil so that it can grow vegitation ? The LNT guidelines talk about how fires sterilize the soil a few inches deep so nothing will grow there for years - but I've never tested it myself. Maybe I'll build a fire on the lawn this weekend and see how long it takes the grass to grow back.

What do you do during the 2-3 months per year of high fire danger, which usually corresponds to prime backpacking season? Out here in the PNW, fires are absolutely forbidden during that time. I've seen burn bans in Colorado and Wyoming, too. In the last year or two, many jurisdictdions also prohibit alcohol stoves during burn bans. While I've always used a canister stove, cold food sounds more and more attractive. 12.0 oz. fuel canister plus 2.5 oz. stove plus 2.0 oz. pot plus 0.8 oz. cozy come to more than the 12 oz. of water I'd be carrying while my food is soaking! Of course, if I catch any fish I'd have to eat them raw.... :-(

Hi Ryan,Thank you for the video.So you do not like Spectra cord or the cord and rock sack used in the video from Mountain Laurel Designs. What do you recommend then for hanging food/packs?I would love some info on “no cook” food as well.

I noticed that about 2:15 you said "adapt your route to the equipment that you're carrying", not "adapt your equipment to the route". Was that a slip of the tongue, or do you choose a route to suit the gear? And to what extent?

I can see some sense in "I'm doing a 100 mile trip, and most of it falls naturally near water, so I'll add in a couple of 1 mile diversions to plug the gaps. That simplifies water carrying for the whole trip."

I would make a fire on the rocks instead of making a fire circle of them. This enhances the flow of oxygen and makes the clean up afterwards easier since there's no to little contact with the ground. Another plus is that there's less risk of a root fire.Another option is to use bigger twigs/logs as a base. No innocent rocks will then be harmed. Only reason to make a fire pit is if there's a risk of the fire to spread to the surrounding area, which is unnessesary if the fire is attended.

Then again, the circle may have been done for the sole purpose of educating how to remove a circle...

"So you do not like Spectra cord or the cord and rock sack used in the video from Mountain Laurel Designs. What do you recommend then for hanging food/packs?"

Ryan undobtedly has his own favorites. I avoid ultra fine lines for bear baging. Spectra is good cord, strong and light. But, it is generally way beyond what is actually needed. Stakes pull loose before the line breaks and flinging the stake to all corners, or, if solidly anchored, the tarp can rip. As Ryan mentions, light lines saw into trees when hauling up more than 4-5 pounds, often wedging/sticking into the bark making the bag difficult to pull up. If you cut into the bark further, the tree can exude sap, glueing the line into place come morning. I have had trouble getting a 5 pound bag down! I prefer a dyneema line that will flatten slightly when you pull up a 15 pound bear bag. It tends to flatten over a branch increasing the surface area a bit. I use a heavier 3mm line, 40' or so. Stretch is usually minimal. The line itself is fairly stiff. This handles better in the scrub normally found in forest floors. Limp line, like paracord, has a way of finding all the snags. I purchased about 200' of 3mm "whip" line 10-12 years ago. I am still using it today.